As the weather gets colder and the nights darker, many Britons will be contemplating getting a break from the long months of chill and gloom by heading somewhere hot and sunny.
For many, the best getaway will be to the tropics where it is genuinely warm, or even to the southern hemisphere.
However, whenever you travel overseas you need to be prepared with more than just passports and guidebooks. You also need to know whether a trip to the travel health clinic is required before you head off.
Some places are pretty safe. For example, thousands of Britons will be off to New Zealand to see the England cricket team in action in November and December. Those attending the Test matches and exploring the country will need plenty of sun cream, but won’t need any vaccinations. This is not a place where you are at risk from Malaria or yellow fever.
However, if this trip also takes in some of the nearby Pacific Islands, such as the Cook Islands, the Hepatitis A Jab is recommended in cases where personal conduct may put individuals at risk, which includes men who have sex with men, staying in very rural places or long stays in places with poor food hygiene and/or sanitation.
None of these islands pose a yellow fever risk, but despite this, you will need yellow fever certification to visit Niue.
If countries like New Zealand and Australia are mostly benign from a disease point of view and enjoy comparable healthcare to the UK and Europe, the same is not true of tropical destinations.
Travelling cricket fans will be amongst those heading to such places, as England will play a series of limited-over games against the West Indies in Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia, starting at the end of October and rolling over into November.
Visitors to Antigua and Barbuda will need a yellow fever certificate, and Hepatitis A is recommended for those in risky situations as outlined above for the Cook Islands. The same applies to Barbados and St Lucia, where you should also take steps to avoid being bitten by insects, as Dengue Fever, plus the Zika, Chikungunya and West Nile viruses all pose a risk.
Seasoned travellers following the cricket will often go to tropical countries as well as the subcontinent, where other risks exist (at the time of writing, England are in Pakistan). South Asia is a region many people will visit for other reasons too.
Similarly to other tropical countries, India currently poses no yellow fever risk but certification is required. There is, however, a risk of malaria in some regions, especially rural parts, so you should get some antimalarial tablets as well as take steps to avoid getting bitten.
Sub-Saharan Africa poses the most health concerns, as this is where several countries have a genuine yellow fever risk, as well as Malaria. The region has also made headlines for particularly deadly diseases such as ebola, but outbreaks of this are, thankfully, localised.
Wherever you are going, it is vital to check the requirements well ahead of time, especially if you need vaccinations as they take time to kick in. By taking these steps and ensuring you have good health insurance, you will maximise protection against anything that might ruin your winter sunshine escape.